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1、ChapterI.OfthePrincipleofUtility.I.Naturehasplacedmankindunderthegovernanceoftwosovereignmasters,painandpleasure.Itisforthemalonetopointoutwhatweoughttodo,aswellastodeterminewhatweshalldo.Ontheonehandthestandardofrightandwrong,ontheotherthechainofcausesandeffect
2、s,arefastenedtotheirthrone.Theygovernusinallwedo,inallwesay,inallwethink:everyeffortwecanmaketothrowoffoursubjection,willservebuttodemonstrateandconfirmit.Inwordsamanmaypretendtoabjuretheirempire:butinrealityhewillremainsubjecttoitallthewhile.The principleofutil
3、ityrecognizesthissubjection,andassumesitforthefoundationofthatsystem,theobjectofwhichistorearthefabricoffelicitybythehandsofreasonandoflaw.Systemswhichattempttoquestionit,dealinsoundsinsteadofsense,incapriceinsteadofreason,indarknessinsteadoflight.Butenoughofmet
4、aphoranddeclamation:itisnotbysuchmeansthatmoralscienceistobeimproved.II.Theprincipleofutilityisthefoundationofthepresentwork:itwillbeproperthereforeattheoutsettogiveanexplicitanddeterminateaccountofwhatismeantbyit.Bytheprincipleofutilityismeantthatprinciplewhich
5、approvesordisapprovesofeveryactionwhatsoever.accordingtothetendencyitappearstohavetoaugmentordiminishthehappinessofthepartywhoseinterestisinquestion:or,whatisthesamethinginotherwordstopromoteortoopposethathappiness.Isayofeveryactionwhatsoever,andthereforenotonly
6、ofeveryactionofaprivateindividual,butofeverymeasureofgovernment.III.Byutilityismeantthatpropertyinanyobject,wherebyittendstoproducebenefit,advantage,pleasure,good,orhappiness,(allthisinthepresentcasecomestothesamething)or(whatcomesagaintothesamething)topreventth
7、ehappeningofmischief,pain,evil,orunhappinesstothepartywhoseinterestisconsidered:ifthatpartybethecommunityingeneral,thenthehappinessofthecommunity:ifaparticularindividual,thenthehappinessofthatindividual.IV.Theinterestofthecommunityisoneofthemostgeneralexpression
8、sthatcanoccurinthephraseologyofmorals:nowonderthatthemeaningofitisoftenlost.Whenithasameaning,itisthis.Thecommunityisafictitiousbody,composedoftheindividualpersonswho
